The Cannondale Scalpel-SI 2 2019 XC Mountain Bike sits in the middle of the Scalpel range. It comes with a carbon frame, carbon wheels, Lefty Ocho fork & a mix of SRAM, Truvativ & Shimano parts. The Scalpel-SI is designed for aspiring World Cup XC racers, marathon racers & anyone else who wants a fast XC race bike. The Scalpel-SI is an XC race bike so as you would expect the geometry is based around an aggressive flat back riding position. It is designed to be super-fast on the flats & lighting fast on climbs. XC courses have changed a lot on the last few years though with big drops, large rocks & super steep descents now being the norm. In response Cannondale have designed the Scalpel for what they call XXC. The Scalpel is where XC ability meets all-mountain stability. At the front is has Cannondale’s Out Front Steering Geometry which gives you the best of both worlds: slack & stable on hectic descents, yet quick & nimble everywhere else. At the back it has Cannondale’s proprietary Ai offset drivetrain which delivers super short chainstays for climb-winning traction & agile handling, without sacrificing tyre clearance or limiting you to single ring set-ups. The most distinctive feature of the Scalpel is Cannondale’s Lefty Ocho fork. It’s unbelievably rigid & precise so it can out-corner, out-handle & flat-out rides circles around its flexy XC competition. Its custom extra-long fork offsets (rake) makes Cannondale’s Out Front Steering Geometry possible. With the Scalpel-SI 2 you are getting all of the geometry & tech of the World Cup ready Cannondale Scalpel but with a more affordable build. It uses an aluminium rather than carbon Lefty but you get plenty of other carbon goodies including the carbon seatpost & custom carbon Truvativ crank set. The rest of the equipment is a SRAM X01 with the exception of the brakes where Cannondale have gone for the super reliable Shimano Deore XC hydraulic discs. This bike is perfect for Aspiring XC racers, marathon & endurance racers or anyone else who needs to go really fast cross country. The Cannondale Scalpel SI-2 gets you into Cannondale’s technology with a really good value build that will have you winning races in no time. Key Features Ballistec carbon frame & Lefty Ocho Aluminium fork Carbon tubeless ready wheels 12 speed SRAM Eagle gearing & Shimano brakes